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FISHER Family History, Y-DNA Connections?

FISHER Y-DNA Leads

I have taken two approaches to break through the "brick wall" of David Fisher's ancestry. The first has been to track allied families back through Pennsylvania to New Jersey. Another approach I started in April 2020 is to track the genealogies of Fisher Y-DNA matches from 1850 back.

Y-DNA testing on a direct male descendant produced only two Fisher matches and a large number of Lyon matches, which suggests there may have been some funny business in that line. In fact, a first look into a Thorpe match, for example, showed an apparent illegitimate son of a Lyon in Cattaraugus County, New York in 1870.

William FISHER^• (1790s-1840s)

Y. William Fisher^• was born around the 1790s^{[Cen 1840]} and married a woman named Sarah. They had seven children^[Grave] in Allegany County, New York:

Y1.	Mary Fisher	--	(< 1913)	--
Y2.	Elizabeth Fisher	(1821-1822)	(1850-1853)	(30)
Y3.	Jane Fisher	--	(< 1913)	--
Y4.	Thomas Fisher	Apr 1826	11 Feb 1911	(84)
Y5.	John Fisher•	Feb 1831	25 Feb 1921	(90)
Y6.	Theodore J. Fisher	Mar 1835	(1900-1913)	(65-78)
Y7.	Jacob Fisher	25 Oct 1837	10 Jul 1913	(75)

The Fisher family is first found in New Hudson, Allegany County, New York. William was between the ages of 40 and 50, and Sarah was between the ages of 30 and 40 (born about 1803). They had four boys: one under the age of 5 (Jacob), two between the ages of 5 and 10 (John and Theodore), and the eldest between the ages of 10 and 15. They also had two girls: one between the ages of 10 and 15 and the other 15 to 20.^{[Cen 1840]}

Youngest son Jacob's obituary^[Grave] fills in some of the holes. Jacob was born near Black Creek Corners in Allegeny County. New Hudson sits at the top of two valleys with Black Creek flowing south and then east to the Genesee River and Rush Creek flowing northeast to the Genesee River. The family moved 650 miles west to Illinois in the fall of 1842.^[Grave]

William apparently died in the 1840s and by 1850 Sarah had remarried to George Smith. They and sons John, Theodore J., and Jacob J. lived in Walnut, Bureau County, Illniois, and were enumerated three households after daughter Elizabeth (Fisher) Landers.^{[Cen 1850]}

George Smith may have died during the 1850 because by 1860 Sarah was living with son Theodore and grandson William Landers next-door to sons John and Jacob.^[1860]

Elizabeth (FISHER) LANDERS (1822-1850s)

Y2. Elizabeth Fisher was born in about 1820 or 1821 in New York^{[Cen 1850]}, perhaps near Black Creek Corners, Allegany County, where her youngest brother Jacob was born. She married Thomas Landers, an Irish immigrant, and had three sons before her early death:

Y21.	William Landers	(1842-1843)	(> 1850)	(> 7)
Y22.	James Landers	(1844-1845)	(> 1850)	(> 5)
Y23.	Peter Landers	(1847-1848)	(> 1850)	(> 2)

Elizabeth and Thomas are first found in 1850 enumerated three household before George & Sarah Smith, likely her mother and stepfather, and her brothers John and Jacob in Walnut, Bureau County, Illinois.^{[Cen 1850]}

Elizabeth (Fisher) Landers died between 1850 and 1853. She was probably around 30 years old.

Thomas remarried to Eliza B. Stahl in 1853.

Thomas and Eliza remained in Walnut Township. In 1860, there was a noticeable 5-year age gap between James and Peter and their three younger half-siblings.^{[Cen 1860B]} Eldest son William lived with his maternal uncle Theodore J. Fisher and grandmother Sarah Smith elsewhere in the township.^{[Cen 1860A]}

his brothers John and Jacob J., all living with George & Sarah Smith, likely their mother and stepfather, in Walnut, Bureau County, Illinois.^{[Cen 1850]} George Smith may have died during the 1850 because by 1860 his mother and nephew William Landers lived with him next-door to brothers John and Jacob.^[1860]

Thomas Landers died on July 8, 1889, at the age of 71. He was buried in Walnut Cemetery.^[Grave]

Thomas FISHER (1826-1911)

Y4. Thomas Fisher^• was born in April 1826 in New York^{[Cen 1900]}, perhaps near Black Creek Corners, Allegany County, where his youngest brother Jacob was born. He married Elizabeth A. Triplett on July 5, 1847^{[Mar 1847]}, and had seven children, four of whom survived to 1910:^{[Cen 1900, 1910]}

Y41.	Lucinda Fisher	(1848)	(> 1910)	(> 62)
Y42.	Edward Fisher	(1852-1853)	(> 1910)	(> 57)
Y43.	Charlotte Fisher	(1856-1857)	(> 1910)	(> 53)
Y44.	John Fisher	(Jan) 1860	(1860s)	(Childhood)
Y45.	Franklin Fisher	(1860-1861) (1863-1864)	(> 1910)	(> 48)

The three children who died in childhood were named in Elizabeth's obituary as Sarah, William, and John.^[Grave]

Thomas and Elizabeth settled and farmed in China Township, Lee County, Illinois, by 1850.^{[Cen 1850]} His mother, stepfather, and younger brothers settled about 30 miles southwest in Walnut Township, Bureau County, and by 1860 Thomas moved his family to Walnut Township, but were enumerated 22 dwellings later Thomas worked as a carpenter in Walnut.^{[Cen 1860, 1870]}

Two boarders moved in with Thomas and Elizabeth by 1910, and nephew James Fisher and his family were enumerated nine households away in Walnut.^{[Cen 1910]}

Thomas and Elizabeth lived with son Frank and his wife Mary on McDonald Street in Walnut. Thomas' youngest brother Jacob lived nearby on the same street.^{[Cen 1910]}

Thomas Fisher died on February 11, 1911, at the age of 84.^[Grave]

Elizabeth (Triplett) Fisher died a year later, February 29, 1912, at her home in Walnut. She was 79 years old and buried in Walnut Cemetery.^[Grave]

John FISHER^• (1831-1921)

Y5. John Fisher^• was born in February 1831 in New York^{[Cen 1900]}, perhaps near Black Creek Corners, Allegany County, where his youngest brother Jacob was born. John married Martha J. Bell on July 4, 1854, in Bureau County, Illinois.^{[Mar 1854]} They had six children, all of whom survived through 1900^{[Cen 1900]}, but three died by 1910.^{[Cen 1910]}

Y51.	James Ray Fisher•	Jun 1855	(> 1900)	(> 44)
Y52.	William Fisher	(1857)	(> 1870)	(> 12)
Y53.	Albert Fisher	Nov 1859	(> 1900)	(> 40)
Y54.	Thomas Fisher	Jul 1864	(> 1920)	(> 55)
Y55.	Ada Fisher	(1868-1869)	(> 1880)	(> 11)
Y56.	Sarah Fisher	(1876-1877)	(> 1880)	(> 3)

John is first found in 1850 with his brothers Theodore J. and Jacob J., all living with George & Sarah Smith, likely their mother and stepfather, in Walnut, Bureau County, Illinois.^{[Cen 1850]}

John married Martha J. Bell on July 4, 1854, in Bureau County and they started their family in Walnut.^{[Cen 1860]}

By 1870, the family moved about 20 miles north to Hahnaman Township, Whiteside County, near Rock Falls on the Rock River. There they lived next to John's youngest brother Jacob.^{[Cen 1870A]}

The family next moved about 10 miles southeast to Harmon Township, in neighboring Lee County, by 1880, where they lived next to the Solomon & Priscilla McKeel family, whose daughter Estrella married James Fisher that same year.^{[Cen 1880A/B]} The McKeels had lived in Harmon Township since at least 1870.^{[Cen 1870B]}

The Fishers moved about 550 miles west to Beaver Township, Buffalo County, Nebraska, by 1900. There John and sons Albert and Thomas worked a rented farm.^{[Cen 1900A]} Son James and his family returned 11 miles south to Walnut Township, but after an apparent venture in the Indian Territory (eastern Oklahoma) where a daughter was born in 1895.^{[Cen 1900B]}

By 1910, John, Martha, and son Thomas moved to Ravenna in Garfield Township, Buffalo County.^{[Cen 1910]}

Martha J. (Bell) Fisher died in the 1910s.^{[Cen 1920]} She was in her 70s.

After Martha's death, John and son Tom lived at 320 Lincoln Avenue in Ravenna.^{[Cen 1920]}

John reportedly died on February 25, 1921, and was buried in Highland Cemetery, Ravenna, Buffalo County.^[Grave] He was about 90 years old.

Theodore J. FISHER (1835->1900)

Y6. Theodore J. Fisher^• was born in March 1835 in New York^{[Cen 1900]}, perhaps near Black Creek Corners, Allegany County, where his youngest brother Jacob was born. He married Hannah F. Kimmel around 1866 and had four children, only two of whom survived to 1900.^{[Cen 1900]}

Y61.

Edgar Fisher

Aug 1868

(> 1900)

(> 31)

Theodore is first found in 1850 with his brothers John and Jacob J., all living with George & Sarah Smith, likely their mother and stepfather, in Walnut, Bureau County, Illinois.^{[Cen 1850]} George Smith may have died during the 1850 because by 1860 his mother and nephew William Landers lived with him next-door to brothers John and Jacob.^[1860]

In 1900 son Edgar and Hannah's brother Marshall Kimmel lived with the couple in Walnut Township.^{[Cen 1900]}

Jacob FISHER (1837-1913)

Y7. Jacob Fisher^• was born on October 25, 1837, near Black Creek Corners, Allegany County, New York. He and his family moved from New York to Illinois in 1842 and settled in Walnut, Bureau County. He married Mary E. Robinson on November 9, 1858, and had seven children, two of whom died in fancy:^{[Grave, Cen 1900, 1910]}

Y71.	Sarah A. Fisher	(Mar) 1859	(> 1900)	(> 40)
Y72.	Millie Fisher	(1861-1862)	(> 1900)	(> 38)
Y73.	Wilbur J. Fisher	(1864-1865)	(> 1900)	(> 35)
Y74.	George E. Fisher	(1868-1869)	(> 1900)	(> 31)
Y75.	Mrs. Charles Wahl	--	--	--

After Jacob and Mary wed the settled near Jacob's elder brother John in Walnut Township. In 1860, Mary was noted as still attending school at the age of 15 and with 5-month-old daughter Sarah.^{[Cen 1860]}

By 1870, both Jacob and elder brother John moved about 20 miles north to Hahnaman Township, Whiteside County, near Rock Falls on the Rock River. Jacob and family remained in Hahnaman Township through at least 1900, but his brother John moved about 10 miles southeast to Harmon Township, in neighboring Lee County, by 1880. Mary's younger sister Ella Robinson from as early as 1870 through at least 1900.^{[Cen 1870, 1880, 1910]}

The Fishers returned south to Walnut where Jacob, Mary, and Mary's sister Ella, lived on McDonald Street on the west end of town. Nearby was Jacob's elder brother Thomas, also on McDonald Street; and son Wilbur, who was on "West South Street" (possibly referring to West Walnut Street or South 2nd Street).^{[Cen 1910]}

Jacob Fisher died at his home in Walnut on July 10, 1913, and was buried the following Saturday in Walnut Cemetery.^[Grave] He was 75 years old.